Daniel J SaitA medical grade speaker from HyperSound could help hard-of-hearing consumers enjoy content at normal volume levels.
Now available in the UK, HyperSound Clear 500P focuses a targeted beam of sound to a specific listener without impacting the volume of the TV or AV system for other viewers, an approach the company claims as a world first.
With one in six people in the UK suffering from some kind of hearing loss, TV and AV volume is a common problem, causing issues for others in the home or neighbours.
HyperSound’s describes its solution as similar to a beam of light from a torch, directing a beam of audio to target listeners and promoting the speech over any background noise that might be present.
Dr Gemma Gray (BSc, MSc, HAD, CS), professional services manager at Leightons Opticians & Hearing Care (a company with 34 branches based in the South of England) which is stocking the HyperSound Clear 500P speaker systems commented: “The HyperSound technology has been met with great enthusiasm by our patients. These incredibly clever speakers create very directional, high quality sound which can be prescribed for those who are hard of hearing when watching television or listening to the radio.
“We are really grateful to the team at HyperSound for their ongoing support in getting this cutting-edge technology into our stores and ultimately into the homes of those who need the help. I’d award 10 out of 10 for this technology managing hearing loss in the comfort of a patient’s home.”
HyperSound Clear works in parallel with the audio from the television or home theatre system, so a person sitting in the HyperSound beam can independently control the device’s volume and experience immersive 3D audio, while everyone else in the room hears audio from the television speakers or home theatre system at a normal volume level.
“Spending time together at home watching sports events, favourite TV shows or having movie nights in is part of our culture. Yet many suffering from hearing loss are missing out as they can’t hear what is being said and the volume levels they need don’t suit the rest of the family. We’ve now fixed this,” explains Chris Auty, HyperSound managing director, EMEA & APAC. “HyperSound Clear is one of the most innovative audio products to come along in decades, so we’re very excited that it’s now available in the UK.”
Potentially technology like this could also have connotations for users with no hearing problems, who just want to listen at a high volume.
Also, the ‘assisted living’ sector has long be cited as a potential revenue opportunity on the automation side, helping those with physical challenges to control their homes, however so far, creating AV systems for those with physical disabilities has been less explored.
Statistics show that more than 11 million people in the UK suffer from some kind of hearing loss, representing one in six of the population. Hearing problems are not restricted to the elderly either, 65% of people with hearing loss are under the age of 65.
This could well be a sector to watch…